


A Couch in the Forest

by Kasan_Soulblade



Series: Of Shattered Glass/These Warped Perspectives [7]
Category: Tales of Symphonia
Genre: Anna's a prankster, Autumn, F/M, Kratos is a crab, MAJOR spoilers for Symphonia, minor profanity, playing in the leaves, skin sensitivity, some allusions to adult matters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-12
Updated: 2014-03-12
Packaged: 2018-01-15 11:29:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,143
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1303246
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kasan_Soulblade/pseuds/Kasan_Soulblade
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A "What Came After" Crimson Arch" </p><p>AKA a "Double Edged Sword" related one shot.</p><p>Here there be spoilers for many end game events/ revelations.</p><p>Kratos and Anna spend some time alone in the forest, the season is autumn, and for what Kratos is... the crackle of brittle breaking flora is irritaing to say the least.  Still, Anna's smiling, and he manages to too.  At least until she tries to bring the season to him, much more closer than he'd like.</p><p>Everything that happens after is utterly justified.  As for what happens... well that depends on who you ask as to what tale you get.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Couch in the Forest

**Author's Note:**

> I suppose I should make a general warning. All of the Crimson Arch/Double Edged Sword tales in this archive are spoiler filled. There are no attempts to avoid certain truths and events from the end of the game may be speculated on or flat out mentioned here.
> 
> This is an old tale, edited for errors with minor tweeks to dialogue and description to make it easier on the eyes. Enjoy.

A couch in the forest…

 

 

"Where did you learn how to braid?" She asked as he gently worked his fingers through her waist long brown hair.

"After living for four thousand years you gain a few skills." Kratos chuckled, picking a feather from his lap and gently weaving it through the threads of his soon to be complete braid. She sighed, seemed to drowse while he worked. Holding the last feather, one of his own actually, he slipped it in with the crimson ribbon that marked the break in his weaving and the lion tail like end of Anna's hair.

"Viss couldn't have done better." Anna said after he announced he was done. She gently pulled his work so that it rested on her shoulder and with eye and hand went over it.

"Not knowing Viss, I'll take that as a compliment."

"You should, she w- is my half-sister and the only one in the family who could do anything like complex weaving."

"Oh." Kratos draped his arms around her, she sighed at his touch, took touch as invitation to cuddle. He fondly kissed her cheek since she was so close and she giggled. He dismissed the slight rustle, after all it was autumn and any motion on their part made an unholy amount of racket. There were leaves everywhere, and while the hues were appeasing to the eye the shattering of the fragile flora was a little painful to his ears. Chuckling, for Anna had an all too familiar glint in her eyes, Kratos snatched the sneaky hand that was tracing a path parallel to his back. If he used the grab as a means to deepen their kiss, well that was his decision and she didn’t seem to mind. Hands stuffed to brimming with dried up plant life, she didn’t let go, but he didn’t either, it was the best deadlock he’d enjoyed in an age. Still he felt a prick of irritation at it all, she’d clearly had plans to dump the leaves down the back of his shirt, and while pleased that he caught her before she had the chance to finish her little stunt the fact she wasn’t letting go of her nerve grating bundle stole the smile from his lips as they broke apart.

Not that she seemed to mind, she had other matters on her hands.

"Epp… let me go!"

She sawed her hand back and forth in his grasp but had no luck in freeing herself. But then she would have none considering… everything.

"You should know by now I am forever on my guard." She stopped struggling and he smiled as he heard her let go of the lot. The scratch of dried leaves against his hands was a minor thing, quick to pass, and since she was so close. Well opportunity could be equally fickle, and he snapped up the opportunity to kiss her throat. "So why don't you admit I've captured you, and I might decide to let you go?"

"What if I decide I don't want to be... let go?" Anna teased, pushing herself so close allowing him another kiss with a bit of a nip to better scold.

"Going to make life difficult for me are you? Humans!" Kratos mock growled, loosing her arm, he engulfed her in a hug. Then not bothering with support or bracing he allowed himself to fall over, holding her so she went down with him.

On him actually, and though it seemed a good idea at falls start…

"Hey!" Anna squirmed in his grip, her hair smashed into his face. Annoyed by the hair turned weapon he wiggled out from under her, than leaned heavily against her, much like a man would on a very comfortable couch, he savored the sight of her down by his hand.

"Ow… you're... heavy…"

He draped his cape, making a point of covering her face. "A talking couch, what a wonder!"

"You take… that… back!"

"A talking, hostile, couch." Katos marveled to no one in particular.

"When I get up…" grunted the “couch”. "You are a dead man."

"Dead seraph." He corrected.

"Bald winged seraphim, I'll pluck out every one of those feathers." The “couch” hissed.

Kratos laughed, gently stroked her arm while mentally marveling at how much the same they were. Vengeance wasn’t a nice thing, but it could be a shared sentiment and could warm the blood as well as others.

"Well well well… _Someone_ has a violent streak…" He lifted the cape and leaned forward to murmur the last word into her ear.

"Who, you?"

"Me?" He pulled away, injected a note of pain into his voice, set hand over heart, and pinned her with the most melodramatic look of pain he could muster. It was a good effort, she was laughing, smiling, previous snarls long forgotten. "Anna I am a pacifist…"

"You're wearing a sword and you say that."

He shrugged, unhooked the sword from his belt and set the lot pointy part away from them both.

"I am a pacifist…" He began again he was interrupted this time by her laughter, no longer quiet and so wonderfully sane. He drank in the sound, smiling at her all the while, faux pain forgotten.

"Oh that's _so_ believable. Pacifist my rear, the second you're a pacifist I'm the Queen of Tethe'alla."

"Your majesty," Kratos managed a sketchy bow whilst sitting.

"What is it with members of Cruxis and compulsive lying?"

"That," he grumbled, "is Mithos and Yuan's department, not mine. You've called me a blunt, tactless, socially inapt boar in multiple occasions."

"I said that… poor you." Anna reached up, tussled his hair.

"I've survived worse." Kratos chuckled; he liked it when she played with his hair… Not that he was going to tell her that anytime soon.

"I'm getting worried…" Anna frowned. "Noshy's been watching Lloyd for an hour now and I want to check up on them."

Sighing, as their hour stolen away from duty was now up Kratos nodded, picked his blade from the forest floor.

"There's always next time beloved." Anna smirked, knowing exactly _what_ he was thinking about as always, "and there's always time, in that we have an endless amount."

"Not exactly endless, beloved," Kratos chuckled. "But I'll take what's been given to me for all it's worth."

"That's my Seraph." She got to sitting, and he let her, shenanigans fading from his mind. He shared her worried too, still when she wrapped her arms around him he decided one more moment couldn’t hurt.

She nestled against him with a happy sigh.

He leaned forward to kiss her, and to that opportunity she spilled a hand full of leaves down his shirt.

"Anna!"

She was off and running and he stood alone in the autumn choked clearing working the hard brittle leaves out from shirt and hyper sensitive skin.


End file.
